Microsoft Embeds Cybercrime Unit in Japan's Police Network Before Cyber Law Takes Effect

Microsoft has signed a cooperation agreement with Japan's National Police Agency (NPA), giving law enforcement direct access to Microsoft's threat-intelligence pipeline. The pact, which includes confidentiality provisions and automatic annual renewal, formalizes a partnership between the Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) and the NPA.

The agreement marks the first major implementation of Japan's Active Cyber Defence Act, which was enacted in May 2025 and takes full effect on October 1. The law has four pillars: public-private collaboration, government access to communications data for threat detection, authority for police and the Self-Defense Forces to penetrate and neutralize attacker servers, and institutional reform.

Microsoft's DCU monitors more than 78 trillion security signals daily using AI and tracks over 1,500 unique threat actor groups through the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC). The unit translates that visibility into its Cyber Threat Intelligence Program (CTIP), which generates real-time threat intelligence from global malware disruption operations.